“Bo Klue Phu Kao…” Charm of Nan city

Bo Klue in the Past

     “In 1443, King Inta Kan Thao, the king of Nan used a trick to inform Chiang Mai that there was Kaw war (Yuan; Diviet) attacking Nan. Chiang Mai sent an army to help protect the city. After finding out that it was a lie, King Phaya Tilokkaraj marched the troop to occupy Nan as part of Lanna Kingdom” “In 1450, King Inta Kan Thao, the king of Nan sent a diplomat to offer Bo Mang salt to King Phaya Tilokkaraj, the King of Chiang Mai. Then, King Phaya Tilokkaraj wanted to occupy Nan and the salt mine so he marched the troop to attack Nan”.

The above two paragraphs are written in the historical record or Chiang Mai and Nan respectively. The contradiction of both legends is very obvious both in terms of the cause of the war and the year. Nan’s record seems more convincing than Chiang Mai’s because it is difficult for a small city like Nan to use a trick with Chiang Mai that there was a Kaw war. Also, it does not seem to benefit Nan for Chiang Mai to send troops there.

Another thing that makes Nan legend more reliable is the occupation of salt mine in Nan. Salt is considered as a war material which is important and indispensable for cooking and food preservation. Now we know that salt is the main component in many industries. It is also a key ingredient in other chemicals.



     Rock salt is under the earth. In Thailand, there is rock salt in many areas but only some of them have become salt mine including Bo Klue basin in Nan Province, Bo Pho in Nakhon Thai District, Pitsanulok Province and in North-Eastern at Sakon Nakhon basin and Korat basin. The salt at these two places is highly concentrated and plenty especially at Pimai salt source that has an industrial salt factory which imports the highest amount of salt in Asia.

Songkram River lowland is a big salt source of Sakon Nakhon basin which is still operating now. In this area, there is a legend about Pa Daeng Nan Ai who ate a white squirrel, causing landslide which turned into Nong Han swamp. The anthropologist who studies about ancient legends proposed that the white squirrel is actually the salt. The story of Pa Daeng Nan Ai is about human’s love, greed and anger which led to disasters.

Bo Pho salt source also has a legend and is believed to have been around for a thousand years since Por Khun Bang Klang Hao reign or Por Khun Sri Nao Nam Thom. It is a salt well arising from a small stream. As there is a Bodhi tree (Pho) where the well arose, it is called Bo Pho.

The rock salt in Bo Klue, Nan Province, is weird that to have salt source on a high area and far away from the sea. This made some people think that Doi Phu Ka was once the sea so there was salt water in the mountain. However, the geologist explored and found rock salt under the earth which is melted by fresh water that pushed the salt up to the earth surface and turned it into another source for making salt.

   
  Bo Klue is a small district along the valley. On the west, there is Doi Phu Ka separating this district from Pua district. On the east, there is a border mountain between Thai and Laos. On the north, it is connected with Chaloem Phrakiat District, which is the exit to Huay Kon border point towards Luang Prabang in 90 km only. On the south, it is connected to Santisuk District and Ta Wang Pa District, the exit to Nan and Sukhothai.

Based on the geography, Bo Klue is far away from big city. Yet, it was not beyond where the war could reach especially with Burmese. There are stories about Man (Burmese) war in Bo Klue. Also, a stone inscription was found at Wat Man. Wat or temples are, then, a historical tourist destination.

In the inscription, King Hua Saen of Chiang Kuang had a temple built called Nirakkarakattaram, which was a deserted temple near Mang river. According to the inscription, this was in B.E. 2108 (1565) or during the reign of Phaya No Kham Satien Chai Songkram. That age was when Myanmar occupied Lanna Kingdom and Phra Nang Wisut Thewi ruled Chiang Mai. In Ayutthaya, it was the reign of King Chaiyaraja.

The discovery of the inscription of deserted temple near Mang river is in accordance with the story told by Bo Klue villagers that this area used to be Wat Man or a Burmese temple where people used to dig for lead to make pellets for animal hunting before adjusting the area into Bo Klue hospital.

     From the history, it can be seen that Bo Klue area is important as a rock salt source in Lanna, which has been around for more than 800 years or in the Sukhothai period, according to the villagers. That was from the evidence of the person who occupied Bo Klue or the King of Nan who immigrated from Chiang Saen to Nan to produce salt. Originally, the local people were Lua, who had lived in that area before.

Currently, there is tribal mixture of local people who have lived in the mountain and forest and those in the market area who are Lanna people.

Current Bo Klue
       It has been said that “if Nan is a closed and attractive city, Bo Klue District is even more mysterious city that one should definitely visit.” This is because the geography of mountainous area with mountains on every route. This city can be accessed via 3 routes including

          1. Nan – Santisuk – Bo Klue through the route 1257 (less steep mountains but more curvy route)

          2. Nan – Ta Wang Pa – Pua –Bo Klue through the route 1081 (going around Doi Phu Ka)

          3. Nan – Ta Wang Pa – Pua –Bo Klue through the route 1256 (through Doi Phu Ka)

With the paved road, it is convenient to commute. Before traveling, just check the conditions of the car, fuel, and people. As for those who are not used to the route, they should be careful and put safety first.

There are different rates of accommodation from 500 Baht to 1,000-2,000 Baht per night. In winter, it is recommended to book accommodation in advance. I would like to recommend visitors to stay at Bo Klue or Doi Phu Ka National Park for one night to take time in experiencing the lifestyle of Bo Klue villagers which is very simple. Some people who take pictures while walking may miss some details. If you slow down and consider each activity such as the wisdom of building the salt mine in 1,000 years ago, the way of life, the kindness, and the attachment to the mine, you can feel the values of everything.

If you have a chance to visit Bo Klue, don’t forget to stay and enjoy the nature and villager’s way of life. Also, before you go, you should study the history and information about Bo Klue because it will make you enjoy your travel better.